There are side effects to China’s very successful environmental reforms. China’s investment in solar power and in battery technology makes them a world leader in these fields. But, as with previous advances, some will suffer because of this progress. Lijia Zhang, writing in South China Morning Post, points out that: “There is a disturbing reality in parts of northern China - elderly villagers who would rather shiver through freezing temperatures than turn on their heaters, because they simply cannot afford the cost. For millions of rural elderly, this is routine. Many villagers now ration warmth, describing the act of switching on the heater as ‘burning money’. They keep the heating to a minimum, piling on layers, including an overcoat, indoors.”
This problem is caused by several factors:
The cost of gas as opposed to coal. Beginning in the early 2010s, large-scale “coal-to-gas” heating programmes were rolled out across northern China to reduce air pollution. Rural households were banned from burning coal and required to switch to cleaner, but far more expensive, natural gas.
Rural pensions are not enough to live on. “In its early years, generous government subsidies cushioned the transition. Over time, those subsidies have been reduced, even as gas prices have risen. For elderly farmers living on pensions of roughly 100 to 200 yuan (US$28.65) a month – barely enough to cover basic necessities – heating has become unaffordable.” One veteran commentator proposed raising their monthly pensions to over 600 yuan. Supporters welcomed his bluntness; critics questioned the feasibility and fiscal priorities.
Demographic shifts in China also lie behind this suffering of China’s rural elderly. “Unlike urban workers with employer-linked retirement plans, rural elderly people have traditionally depended on their children for support. That informal social contract is breaking down. Younger villagers have migrated to cities in search of a better life. Even when they send money home, support is often irregular, especially when urban employment weakens.”
Finally, China’s modern prosperity was actually built across an urban-rural divide. Over 40 years ago in London, speaking to an official from the Chinese Embassy, she commented to me that 城鄉的分别太大 (the gap between cities and the countryside is too big.) Lijia Zhang agrees: “Rural residents, referred to as 'muddy legs', receive weaker welfare protection despite their central role in sustaining the country’s development. The resulting gap in old-age security is hard to reconcile with the government’s stated goals of common prosperity, social equity and balanced development. While urban retirees often enjoy pensions of several thousand yuan a month, rural pensions remain low. When pensions barely sustain survival, retirement ceases to be a basic right and becomes a personal gamble. Without a meaningful increase in rural pensions, every new policy shock – whether in energy reform, healthcare costs or inflation – will continue to push the most vulnerable closer to the edge.”
Lijia Zhang concludes with a passionate statement. “At a time when substantial resources can be mobilised for industrial policy, infrastructure and strategic initiatives, ensuring a basic level of security for the rural elderly should not be beyond reach. Heating shouldn’t be a luxury. Neither should dignity in old age.”
Pray for provincial and national policymakers to find solutions to this problem, reducing this suffering of the elderly.
Pray that those who drive China's economy with its vast resources would be sensitive to this issue.
Pray for those suffering in northern China's icy winter.
Source: Lijia Zhang, South China Morning Post
